Unwanted radios in local auctions

[dennishoy]

In my local hose clearance auction this week were two radios - a Murphy A122M and a RGD A112. Both radios were complete and untouched.
There was also an Avo Mk7.

Sadly, there was no interest in the radios at £10 each from any of the bidders, although the Avo sold for £3.

At the end of auction, I was offered the radios for £8 each and took them away rather than see them go for scrap.

The shed continues to fill up with unloved items.....:s which I don't really want.

[Joe]

That RGD looks OK. VHF and a Gram socket -what more could you ask?

They seem to sell better up here. I've never known any not sell or I be the sole bidder, unfortunately.

- Joe

[Andrewausfa]

Poor old Murphy. I have a weakness for their baffle board sets so I'd have bought it had I been there even though the A122M, IMHO, is not as nice looking as the A122. That RGD would be worth spending some time on.

Andrew

[dennishoy]

Three more sets in the auction tonight with very late lot numbers so not much chance of finding a buyer as most folk will have gone home by 21.00 hours.

There is a GEC, a Bush and something called an Ambasssador (couldn't see the model number on the back).

I'll go back in a couple of hours and see if they need saving.
I'll let them go if there is other interest.

It's a pity I can't get the sets I acquire 'up north' cheaply where the members on the forum may appreciate them. There is sadly, a definite lack of interest down here.

[Paula A]

I would think they are worth getting for less than a tenner each just to break them.. valves and transformers and speakers etc..

It's a shame but then the components at least can go to somebody who will appreciate them rather than the whole lot go to a landfill somewhere.

[dennishoy]

Right, went back and got the Marconi and Bush sets for £4 each as there was no other interest.
The Marconi is labelled T38A on the bottom and the Bush is labelled AC34 on the back.

Interestingly, I had a chat to a younger technical chappie who expressed an interest in getting a valve set (his first) just to 'play with'.
I suggested the Ambassador as it was in quite good condition. He got this also for £4 as the only bidder.

Some pictures are attached.

So a good nights work and all three sets have been saved (for now anyway).
I fully agree with Paula A over this one; I simply don't have the space to store loads of sets or the time to restore very many so 'recycling' for spares may be the only option.

[Skywave]

When I was a youngster, I had a T38A. I acquired it from my maternal grandmother when she passed away in the 70's. After many years, I did a 'case renovation job', and I was very pleased with the result. Many years later, having moved to the other end of the country, I was forced to move out of the basement private rental house I was then occupying, but I was (gratuitously) give a couple of weeks to re-locate. Unfortunately, in the meantime, and during my absence, the basement flat became totally flooded right up to the ceiling! :omg: When I went back and subsequently discovered this, the radio - and quite a lot of other bits 'n' pieces of mine, were in a skip outside. The radio was in bits - totally ruined. :@ Such a shame, because apart from it's appearance (and I know a lot of people care not for that - but I do), it worked very well.
Seeing those pics. has brought back many memories - good, and regretfully, not good ones.

Al.

[Paula A]

Last time I saw a lineup like that in the Marconi was in an early 50's Strad bakelite thing. I still have a bit of that fixed to my guitar

[Yorkie]

These set were real bargains - they're all AC sets, with good sized mains transformers and speakers, built up to a standard, not down to a price, and I think it would be a real shame to break them for spares, though I take the point about lack of space. They're all complete and original, with their knobs and dials intact, and with their backs. All unmollested, albeit unloved and neglected. They'd make excllent restoration projects and the Murphy in particular, if the cabinet is skillfully restored, with its quartered veneers, would look very nice. They all have shortwave, and the RGD has FM and a magic eye. These were expensive quality radios in their day - the Murphy A122 for example costing £22.00 + 33% Purchase Tax, a total of £29.25s.0d when released in Jan 1949, as compared to the utilitarian no-frills Bush DAC90A of Jan 1950, at £12.1.8d + PT, a total of £16.00. Accounting for inflation, this equates to £760 today for the Murphy, and £390 for the DAC90A, so the Murphy was almost double the price of a DAC90A - a lot more money, but for a lot more radio. It shows how fickle the market is - The DAC90A is a commonplace ex rental market radio, with several known shortcomings, made in what at the time was considered an inferior 'mass produced' material - Bakelite, in contrast to veneered wooden cabinets which were considered not just radios, but pieces of furniture. The Murphy is rarer, has shortwave, a larger speaker and much better sound reproduction, but is shunnned at an auction and by restorers, when a DAC90A at the auction would probably have found a ready buyer.

Such is life.

[60 oldjohn]

I have a Ambassador mains radio and when the U2 (DCell) goes flat the set will not work properly. Ok I will clarifie, there was a 1.5v cycle cell solderd in the set for a grid bias voltage, when the cell eventualy failed the volume could not be turn down resulting in a service call for the shop.

John.